


A Lifetime of Pity

by dmux86



Series: One Wrong Kiss... More Then One Path Forward [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Cuckolding, F/M, OOC but canon compliant apparently, Pregnancy, The Author Regrets Everything, They Made Their Barchie Bed, Unhappy Ending, riverdale speculation, riverdale spoiler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:49:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23672593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmux86/pseuds/dmux86
Summary: Latest information inspired me to make yet another version of how this could go down, this time influenced by not getting the last couple episodes of the season plus some of the stills we have seen.This fic is not at all nice to Betty or Archie, fair warning for anyone.Honestly I'm just pissed at how this might go and putting out the worst possible thing in a fic so it hopefully doesn't really happen.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Series: One Wrong Kiss... More Then One Path Forward [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697050
Comments: 9
Kudos: 15





	A Lifetime of Pity

**ONE HOUR**

She walked into her bedroom, and it really was still her bedroom, with a racing heart and sat down at the vanity unable to hide her smile. For the first time she and Archie had kissed properly, and it felt... perfect... there was no other word for it.

All her childhood dreams were finally coming true, though she did feel bad about moving on so quickly from Jughead and hoped Veronica would not be too upset.

Looking around at the few things her ex-boyfriend had in her room she wondered idly where he would sleep now but her thoughts were interrupted by the boy in question walking into the room with soft eyes, immediately saying "I am so sorry I yelled before Betty... I just... it's all been so much and I'm so worried about everything still, just doesn't feel like we're done, like we just won a battle but not the war, you know?"

Betty nodded and smiled softly "I get it Jug, we've all been through a lot... " but before she could continue he knelt down, took her hands in his, and told her sincerely "We are getting out of here, putting all of this behind us, I promise. Pizza and Yale, maybe even hold the mysteries if you want", leaning down to kiss her hands and then looking up at her.

The blonde was still smiling but blinked and didn't respond at first, confused because she thought they had broken up, that he said... well thinking back actually he had only said she should leave the bunker, not leaving him in terms of the relationship... and finally nodded just as he started to look concerned, prompting a smile from the dark haired boy as he added "Good, again I am so sorry Betty. I will do better about my anger and the homework too, I'll even go down and take care of it downstairs now. I can't believe I almost lost you over something so silly... I don't know what I would do without Betty Cooper, you're everything good in my life"

With that Jughead stood and kissed her deeply, and for the first time ever she didn't enjoy the feeling of his lips on hers, guilt twisting in her gut but she couldn't end things with him now. And they were going off to Yale together, perhaps the feelings for Archie would finally truly fade there. Archie was easy to love and fell in love easily, he would move on... while Jughead would be broken, and it wasn't like she didn't love him too.

Her apparently-not-an-ex boyfriend grabbed his math and science books and made his way down to study, leaving her alone again. Standing up she glanced out the window at Archie, seeing his smile and waving but taking out her phone as she mournfully sang goodbye to her first love, her true love, in favor of the boy who needed her most.

**ONE WEEK**

Archie had tried to talk to her a few times but she pushed him away, telling him "It's not the right time for us, if it ever will be. Let's just... not ruin the end of Senior Year, alright? We can dance a few times at prom and wait till the summer, alright Arch?"

**ONE MONTH**

It was officially summer and nothing had really changed. Perhaps internally her longing was stronger and her guilt was less, but this morning she signed the lease for a studio apartment ten minutes walking distance from their classes at Yale and seemingly signed away at least the next four years, if not her life.

Seeing Jughead's happy smile made her happy too though, even if every time she was alone she wondered how this would end.

"Me and the Serpents are having a bonfire tonight, you coming?" Jughead asked over lunch at Pop's which Betty was barely eating, giving her a good excuse of "Not sure I'm up for it tonight, might just stay in and read...", looking away from the heartfelt concern of those blue eyes.

After the sun set and the bikes drove away, she quietly walked across the street, replying Veronica who had gone into the city for a week to find a place to live that was up to her standards but NOT owned or managed by her father or any of his friends. Knocking on the door, she smiled up at the redheaded boy and held his gaze as she murmured "We have to keep this a secret... " before stepping inside.

**ONE YEAR**

After a year at Yale, Betty's grades were excellent and she was feeling better about Jughead than she had since before he returned from Stonewall, and unsurprisingly he was more devoted than ever, though unfortunately had not made any real friends at school. The habitual outsider, perhaps scared by Stonewall Prep, had instead latched onto the familiar comfort of his blond girlfriend, but never to the point of smothering her she had to admit. In fact things were so good that Betty had almost forgotten about her summer fling.

There was a 'Core Four Group Chat' they all replied to every day, and she occasionally messaged Archie directly, but never about anything that would imply more than friendship... if anything there were less hearts or winking emojis than before. But then Archie and Veronica had some to visit, and seeing him in person, shirtless as they setup a bonfire in the nearby park, brought it all back again.

She apparently was never going to give this up, and as Jughead held her in his arms and told their friends stories about his classes and job she wondered if she'd ever be able to let him down gently.

**FIVE YEARS**

There was no gentle let down, only a stunning ring she was honestly worried he had done something illegal to acquire, and after seven and a half years together there was no good reason to say no.

So they planned a wedding, and there wasn't even a question who the best man and maid of honor would be, only how big the wedding and wedding parties would be. They settled somewhere in between Alice's desire to invite the entire town of Riverdale down to NYC, where they now lived, for the occasion and Jughead's plan to elope to Atlantic city, with Fangs, Sweet Pea, Cheryl, and Toni all standing with them... and Kevin having gotten ordained just for this very occasion. Veronica had caught the bouquet and Archie had toasted them about how happy he was to see his oldest friends happy, despite having spent three hours the previous night in Betty's hotel room, separated from her groom per tradition.

One last time they said.

**TEN YEARS**

Betty couldn't push any more, it hurt too much, far more than anyone had warned her, she was blacking out and screaming and was pretty sure she had broken at least two of Jughead's fingers before she heard a loud cry and let herself pass out as the sun rose over the city.

When her eyes blinked awake it was well into the afternoon afternoon and the nurses were all over her, but eventually she asked for her husband, for her daughter, and there were some strange looks but the nurses nodded and one said quietly "Your husband left"

"What... what is happening?" she asked, trying to sit up while in pain, confused, and worried, before a nurse brought her baby and all other worries vanished as she saw the beautiful girl she had hoped for, then her heart stopped as she got a good look her baby...

soft red hair barely visible against her pink skin...

dark brown eyes she would recognize anywhere...

Glancing up she saw Archie enter the room, remembering faintly that he and Veronica had shown up halfway into her long labor... but now his face was bandaged up from a split lip, broken nose, and at least one black eye already forming.

So much for a lifetime of pity


End file.
